Sad September

I don't know where to start except that this hasn't been a good month. I started the month with a sick cat. The last Friday in August, I noticed that Salem, who was skinny anyway, was VERY thin. I took him to see the vet. He had no obvious problems like worms, temp., or sore mouth. I was told to watch how much he is eating and let him eat all he wants.

I take him home and feed him by himself in the bathroom. He would only eat a few bites of canned food, no dry food at all. He would beg for lunchmeat though so I thought he was tired of the same flavor of Friskies I'd been feeding him. Nope. By Monday, he wouldn't eat. I got some medicine from the vet and gave it to him twice a day. I also started force-feeding him baby food. He started to act a little better....jumping on my lap, meowing again, coming into the bedroom instead of staying on the couch. I got my hopes up...Late Wednesday night, I gave Salem his medicine and fed him some more baby food. I wrapped him in an old pillow case and held him like I did 6 years ago Sept. 28th when I found him under my car at about 2 weeks old. As I was feeding him, he didn't look right. I don't know how to discribe it, just not like himself. However, he did jump out of my arms and ran towards the living room. I decided that I would go back to the vet on Thursday to try something else. I never got the chance. I woke up on Thursday, September 2nd to discover Salem lying dead across one of my tennis shoes in the bedroom doorway.

I was, of course, beside myself. I'm just getting used to Max not being here. Max's symptoms were very similar. He'd stopped eating, but he hid whereas Salem was around more often than usual. I realized both were sick on a Friday. I got medicine for both on Monday and had decided that something else needed to be done the night before each of them died. July 1st, 2009 and September 2nd, 2010.....just fourteen months and one day apart and both right before a holiday weekend. It's just TOO weird. I had an autopsy done on Salem only to discover that he also died of liver cancer! Salem's liver cancer had spread to his spleen. Max's liver cancer spread to his gall bladder.

Max and Salem were related....Salem was Max's uncle. I asked if the liver cancer was something genetic or if it was something they were getting into or I was causing. I have 8 more cats....six of them are related to Max and Salem! The vet said that since they are related they have a higher chance of getting liver cancer. It make me cry just thinking about it. I can't help but think of them as little furry time-bombs...who's next? I never expected to lose two cats so close together especially since they were fairly young. Snowball, who's not related, turns 16 this month. I just took for granted that all the rest would live long healthy lives like she has.


Here's a picture of Salem. Sadly I didn't take enough pictures of him, but I have some better ones I'll add later.


Ok, for all the other sad things from this month. DBF's co-worker's wife and daughter were in a motorcycle accident over Labor Day weekend. Both will recover, but it will take time. I just found out that a family friend's granddaughter lost her husband to cancer in May. The lady that owns the house next to mine passed away from natural causes on Labor Day. A co-worker's one month old son is in ICU and has several medical issues.

The most recent occured on Friday when I lost a dear friend. Wow, I'm not even sure how to describe Ruth. I met her when I the first time I attended my church. I went on a Wednesday night and had my two neighbor kids with me. Ruth introduced herself and welcomed me. She told me to come back on Sunday and bring my husband. "Husband?", I said, "I'm only 14!" That memory always brings a smile. That was Ruth though, always friendly and inviting people to church. I sat next to her almost every service that I attended for the next 21 years. That equals 1092 just counting Sundays...yikes. In this small community, you could always tell where Ruth was....just look for her pink Buick Century. You couldn't miss it. She was a special person. I hope that I can be half the person she was. This time last year, she was still living on her own, driving that pink car and attending every service at church. Pretty amazing for a tiny 94 year old lady! I can only hope and pray to do the same at that age.

The last time I saw her was in July when Vince and I went to see her at the nursing home. She had started falling so she was placed in the nursing home so she could have someone look after her. It broke my heart to see her like that. I could see she was getting worse. I broke down as soon as we walked out the door. I wasn't used to seeing her like that. That's why I didn't go see her when she was brought home. I didn't want to cry the whole time I was there. I regret it now, but I didn't want to upset her.

I didn't realize how much I loved her, how much she meant to me and how much I'd miss her until the funeral Monday. I kept most of my composure until we were in the church and the music started. I couldn't help the tears from falling then. I know I will see her in Heaven someday, but she'll never sit next to me at church again. I'll never see her in that pink car again. I'm happy that she's in her Heavenly home where she'd been telling everyone she wanted to go. However, I'm SO sad for all of us left without her.

I cried even harder after the service when her son told me that Ruth wanted me to have her car. He said I could just drive it occasionally and people would remember Ruth. As if anyone could forget her! :) See her Century is very similar to the Celebrity that I drove until I got my new(est) car. Hearing this, I just broke down. I'd be very honored to have it, but I already have two cars. The Celebrity was my dad's and now occupies the carport. I don't have room for another one. To be honest, I don't think I could drive it....I'd be crying too hard to see.

I hope the rest of the month gets better....I can't take any more sadness.

Max's Final Resting Place

My sweet boy passed away last year, but I didn't get his marker up for a whole year. I bought it in October, just couldn't bring myself to put it out.



He has a nice shady spot under the tree in the back yard.



A close-up of the marker that I found on Ebay. I plan to put mulch around the tree and a little fence around that.


I love and miss you Max!

Wordy Wednesday

This beautiful girl is Max and Coal's mamacat, Little Girl. At one time she was VERY wild and would not stay on the porch when I went outside. She's still shy, but LOVES attention from me. I think I'm probably the only person who's ever petted her. She loves having her head rubbed. I was able to catch her and have her spayed.....after she brought me the third or fourth kitten in less than two years! But once I got her fixed, she'd bring me her SISTER'S kittens! I guess she approved of how my mom and I took care of Coal and Max. She's now nine or ten years old and spends most of her time in the woods across the street from my house. I think she'd love to be an inside cat....SHE just doesn't know that! She waits for me to come home every day. Nine times out of ten, as soon as I drive in, no matter what time of day...she come out to greet me. She's a real sweetheart!

Take a close look at her whiskers......one side is white and the other side is black. Isn't that neat? I've never seen whiskers half and half before.

This handsome boy above is my boyfriend's cat, Skunk. Yes, you read that right...a cat named Skunk! Apparently when DBF's mom found him at work under a car when he was a kitten, no one wanted to pick him up because they thought he was a skunk. As a kitten, you see, he had a white stripe down his back.

I was visiting over on http://www.whiskersandpurrs.com/ wishing Elsie happy birthday last night and I noticed something..........doesn't she and Skunk look VERY similar. Maybe I found her long lost brother! Look for yourself..........here's Elsie's picture below:

Good Deals at CVS and Picture of Baby Max

Today I went to CVS to get a photobook made. I knew they were on sale for $7.99 and that I'd get a 7.99 ECB that I could use later for something else. Once I got there, the cashier said that I could use the ECB and get another. I could "roll" the ECBs and end up with 6 photobooks for the price of one! How cool is that?? I didn't even have to get the pictures done today. Just bring the books back as I wanted to make the book. Good thing because I tried twice and had trouble both times. I'd get almost done and the computer would mess up. I don't know if it was just in my area or not, but my cashier said the stores were competing to see which store could sell the most photobooks. Makes a great birthday or CHRISTMAS gift.....Christmas is only 5 1/2 months away!




Here's one of Max's first pictures. My mom is wearing the gloves because Max scratched like crazy while taking his bottle. Maybe that's why Little Girl brought him to us and kept the other five. LOL That and the fact that he never got full! Up until he was 6 to 12 months old he'd knead my hair while I slept. I'd wake up and find half my hair matted to the side of my head. He'd also "pet" my head sometimes when he wanted HIS head petted.


I find myself looking at the other black cats and trying to spot Max's white whiskers. I really miss him when I'm in the kitchen because he'd hit my leg with his head and push his way through my calves. I guess that way he got petted on both sides and the same time. I also miss his distint meow. The house just isn't the same without him! :(

Swagbucks Referral and Random Stuff

If you don't have Swagbucks yet, here's a link to join: http://swagbucks.com/refer/Shelly527IN
(the link isn't working!) I am just getting started using it, but if it helps me get giftcards and stuff, I'm all for it.


I had a great weekend with DBF and his family. It was extra hard leaving the furbabies right after Max passed away. It didn't help at all that Ginger had to go to the kennel. My co-worker, Tonya, has been stopping in twice a day to feed her, give Ginger her meds, and walk her. However, with it being a holiday weekend, Tonya had family come in and wasn't able to come by everday. Completely understandable! Ginger, however, does NOT like the vet's office for a visit much less a four day weekend there. I had to not only walk her back to the kennel, but get in it myself in order to get HER in it. I felt so guilty leaving her there!

I had a lot of fun this weekend though. We all (DBF, his parents, sister, niece and me) went to a county fair Friday night to watch a truck pull. I'd never been to one before and it was pretty cool. One truck came loose from the sled that it was trying to pull and the sled hit it in the tailgate. The tailgate was damaged, but nothing seriously long. DBF's two year old niece, Maddy, would cover her ears with someone else's hands and press them down with her hands whenever she saw the black smoke start to rise from the truck. It was cute.

On Saturday, Vince and I went to a little town called Renfro Valley where they have a log cabin museum. There were actual log cabins, not replicas. They were moved there from other parts of Kentucky. I plan to do a post on this part of the trip in a couple days.

Right now I should be doing homework or housework, but just feel like killing time on here. I can call it quality time with the furbabies since whenever I'm on the computer, someone's on my lap.

Here's the marker I want to get from ebay for Max's grave:



And here's one of Max's last pictures:

Pet Ten Commandments

A Pet's Ten Commandments

1. My life is likely to last 10-15 years. Any separation from you is likely to be painful.

2. Give me time to understand what you want of me.

3. Place your trust in me. It is crucial for my well-being.

4. Don't be angry with me for long and don't lock me up as punishment. You have your work, your friends, your entertainment, but I have only you.

5. Talk to me. Even if I don't understand your words, I do understand your voice when speaking to me.

6.. Be aware that however you treat me, I will never forget it.

7. Before you hit me, before you strike me, remember that I could hurt you, and yet I choose not to bite you.

8. Before you scold me for being lazy or uncooperative, ask yourself if something might be bothering me. Perhaps I'm not getting the right food, I have been in the sun too long, or my heart might be getting old and weak.

9. Please take care of me when I grow old You too, will grow old.

10. On the ultimate difficult journey, go with me please. Never say you can't bear to watch. Don't make me face this alone. Everything is easier for me if you are there, because I love you so.

~ take a moment today to thank God for your pets. Enjoy and take good care of them. ~

~ Life would be a much duller, less joyful experience without God's critters.~

This came from: http://www.things4yourdog.com/page/145250202

I found it a couple months ago, but it means even more today after losing Max. Now go hug your furbaby!

Rest in Peace Max, We'll Miss You!

April/May 2003 - July 1, 2009

My beloved furbaby, Max, looking so hansome in his "tux".


Max passed away this morning at 6:15 am with me by his side. I did not find out until later in the morning that he'd had cancer of the liver for about a month or so. He was only 6 years old! If I had know what was wrong, I'd had let him go Friday with his last vet visit. I'm grateful that I got to be with him and he didn't suffer for a lengthy time. His six brothers, two sisters and I miss him very much. The house is not the same without his sweet personality. I called him "Mild Mannered Max" because he didn't have a mean bone in his body. He only got aggressive when he felt threatened. I had him since he was about 3 weeks old; he was a bottle fed baby.

I will tell more of his story next week when I am less emotional. I also what to find more pictures.